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[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Adder

My only uncle, a non college educated white dude from rural Wisconsin, who had every excuse to be a racist asshole but actually cared about other people instead (which isn’t to say he was without prejudices, especially unconscious) died suddenly from non-covid coronary issues. Everyone who came to his visitation, in rural Wisconsin, wore a mask (inside, outside and too close together, I have critiques). My father, who spoke during the service (which shouldn’t have been inside and I watched on livestream from outside), was right to end on how my uncle cared about others and believed in science. My uncle worked in a window factory for more than 30 years. There’s no excuse for the politics we are seeing.

Almost everything he said was a snarky joke at someone’s expense, but it was never hurtful. He was trying to be funny and in a very midwestern way, avoid expressing real emotion. He wasn’t just disguising a criticism (a thing my father does). He was, in my book, an unequivocally good man (aside from the Packer and Badger thing).

He wasn’t sure he approved of the behavior of certain Packer players, yeah, especially Black ones, but he was fundamentally a good human. He didn’t hate anyone. Even if unfamiliarity left him unsure about some people. He was who we pretend that people who support 45 are, but he would never have. Had it ever come to it, I’d have told him how he was being ignorant but it wouldn’t come to that.

His son spoke at his funeral and called him his “best friend”. His daughter didn’t use those words directly, but was just as close to him. Hard to aspire to more. It’s very sad.

Sorry adder.